Silver Torches delivers an outstanding piece of Americana

You remember that feeling don’t you? Of course you do. It’s a feeling of warmth and happiness – a feeling you had when you were driving down an open road or lying beside the one you loved.

But it’s a distant, tracking feeling with a sense of nostalgia and sentiment, and mixed in are memories of rain, lost emotions and time.

You remember that feeling alright, and it’s what Silver Torches gave us in “Heatherfield,” released Jan. 1.

It’s the perfect album to begin a new year. In the midst of resolutions, looking forward and wanting to do better, you take a moment to slow down and recollect not just on the year that’s passed, but all the moments leading up to now.

In it there’s love, heartache, longing and a sense of belonging. There are drunken nights, old friends, the girl who got away and lessons learned with each passing phase.

All this is wrapped together beautifully in Silver Torches sophomore album. Singer/songwriter Erik Walters transcribes timeless lyrics woven together with melodies reminiscent of home.

Each song is a memory, a moment and a story relatable to all. There’s a bigger picture to be found in the album, and a central theme connects each track to one another.

Walters begins with a clear storyline – “Woman in Rust” paints a picture of the drunken wanderer, aimless and a little lost. He sinks into “Cal,” a somber tune, honest and unsure: “Somehow it’s hard to pick up the dial/It’s so easy to disappear.”

“New Year,” the fourth track on the album is a wonderfully sentimental recollection that stumbles along with the weight of alcohol and missed opportunities.

Then, somewhere in the middle, we’re reminded of familiar faces, the girl who slipped out of reach and old friends we wish we had known better or stayed in touch with.

“Heatherfield” doesn’t stay stuck in the past though. It opens up to the present and hopes for the future, holding onto ideas of what the next day will bring.

Sometimes, though, those ideas don’t come into fruition and failure heavies our hearts. In the painfully honest “I Was King,” Walters highlights the pangs of unfulfilled expectations: “I was a dreamer with a plan for the world … I was ashamed/My head was in flames.”

The last track however, leaves us with a lasting realization. Despite years behind us and the changes we face, no matter how disheveled life makes us, home can still feel like home, and knowing that brings a sense of comfort.

In his final verses to us, Walters sings, “Someday this weight will be lifted/Someday I’ll finally sleep/Someday I’ll make some sense of it all/In this worn out driver’s seat.”

Overall, “Heatherfield” is a beautiful piece of Americana and a staple for any roaming heart or weary soul. It’s a lovely reminder of where good music can take us and how an old sound can seem so new.

Essential tracks: “New Year,” “I Was King” and “State Route 27”

“Heatherfield” is now available for download via Bandcamp, and you can hear more from Silver Torches’ music on Spotify.